Ok, folks, here's what happened: After checking with trusted friends, cohorts, astrologers and soothsayers, I decided that if this marriage is to stay intact, I had better give her a couple days warning. In other words, I "chickened out"!! Here's how I did it. I said to her, "hey, read about this fellow on cruisemates.com." That's all I said and I handed her the computer. When she read a few lines, she said, "Hey Gar, this sounds like you!" (silence on my part, more reading on her part...) Then...GAR DID YOU WRITE THIS??!! And with that I confessed my plans. Was she surprised? YOU BET!! She didn't have a clue that I had been planning this cruise for the last couple months. After the initial excitement she immediately went into "packing for cruise mode" and I saw all those items go into a suitcase for which I didn't have a clue! It wasn't as dramatic as telling her on the way to the ship, but I think that I did the correct thing. We had a great cruise. It was her birthday when we were in Puerto Vallarta and had an excellent day on a nearby island. Weather was beautiful from Acapulco to Cabo San Lucas. Best snorkeling ever in Cabo. Although NCL is not our favorite cruise line (freestyle dining is just not our thing), we still had a wonderful eight nights on the Star. The crew was exceptionally friendly and attentive. Thanks for all your input.
Gary

Gary,
Thanks for the update. Have been on pins and needles waiting to hear how it went. Sounds like you did the exactly right thing. She got to have those couple of days of excitement...and pack what she knew she needed. I must admit, I would never let my DH pack for me. Love him, but he thinks only about days in port and would never remember the evenings. So happy that this went well for you and that you both had a great time!
Congrats, you pulled it off perfectly!
Marty